The CWA News

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie vetoed “Leah’s Law,” endangering thousands of child welfare workers who are engaged in some of the most dangerous work in the state.

The bipartisan legislation was named for CWA Local 1038 member Leah Coleman who was stabbed more than 20 times by a deranged client in November 2014. The brutal attack, which nearly cost Leah her life, occurred just days after the Christie administration made the cost-cutting decision to pull all police officers out of New Jersey Department of Children and Families (DCF) offices. Without security or metal detectors, the client walked into the building with a nine-inch kitchen knife in broad daylight. Thankfully, two CWA caseworkers were able to tackle and subdue the assailant, while three HPAE nurses treated Leah’s wounds until the ambulance arrived.

Real wages for working people (adjusted for inflation) have stagnated over the past 40 years. As CWA members, we've done better than that, but like all working families, we're up against the greed of Wall Street and the 1 percent. It's the financialization of our economy, and it's bad for working families and bad for our communities.

Workers' wages and productivity used to rise together. Since 1973, the gains from worker productivity started going, mainly into the pockets of company CEOs and Wall Street investors.

I've been on the job as CWA President for about four months now. I see the work our members do every day, sustaining our communities and building a better nation for every working family.

Not so long ago, our country would be thanking workers who are on the job, working to keep families and communities connected, informed, entertained, cared for, safe, in good health, and much more. Instead, too many right-wing elected officials and extremists are attacking workers and unions, holding them in contempt. How did working people become the villains? Why are working people blamed for the excesses of Wall Street crooks and the politicians who are in their pockets?

CWAers are part of an incredible coalition of environmental activists, people of faith, students, immigrant rights activists, women’s and civil rights groups, public health and consumer organizations and many more.

One issue that's finally getting some media scrutiny is the special treatment the TPP trade deal gives to multinational corporations. In 20 years of trade deals, from NAFTA to the U.S.-Korea agreement, the enforcement of workers' rights, and environmental and safety standards has basically been an afterthought.